BUILDING PLACES OF WORSHIP TOGETHER

Date written : 04.04.1995

At a few inter-denominational gatherings held in Vienna, Graz, and Maribor, an idea was born that each religious community in the former Yugoslav space either builds or restores a house of worship for another religious community and to make this a symbolic beginning of reconciliation. The idea was welcomed by many religious dignitaries, and some businessmen expressed their readiness to give considerable contributions. Along with the good intentions, there is, however, considerable doubt whether such an idea is feasible at all in view of the fact that war is still going on. Belgrade Archbishop and Metropolitan, Franc Perko, Mufti Hadzi Hamdija Jusufspahic, and Director of the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Slobodan Mileusnic, who is also the author of a book on destroyed Orthodox houses of worship in B&H and Croatia, are also somewhat doubtful. The idea as it is, they say, means the beginning of sobering down and a growing awareness that this war has been disastrous for all the nations in the former Yugoslav space, regardless of their present position in the battlefield.

"One of the most impressive characteristics of this war is the unscrupulous destruction of houses of prayer. Nothing of the kind was ever seen in any war", Belgrade Archbishop Perko says, adding that it is almost unbelievable how the warriors gave themselves the task to destroy all the sacred places of the second or the third party in the war. "The Turks ruled the Balkans for five hundred years, but Christian places of worship have remained, and in this war, everybody destroyed everything they could. This is a reflection of a lack of culture. Only a morally ruined man can destroy other people's places of worship. In any case, the idea which emerged at the gatherings in Vienna, Graz and Maribor is a very good one, but I do not know how feasible it is at this moment, considering that the war actions in B&H are continuing to flare up. I believe, however, that this idea is accepted in some parts of former Yugoslavia where hatred has begun to subside. It would be very good if places of worship would mark the beginning of reconciliation and spiritual coming to one's senses. Because, places of worship are not just places of meeting between man and God, but places where man meets man", Perko says.

Belgrade Mufti Jusufspahic says that the practice of building places of worship together has a long tradition in B&H, and that members of different religions competed who would be of greater help to whom: "Members of the Islamic denomination assisted whole-heartedly in renovation of an old Orthodox Church in Mali Zvornik, and the Orthodox population returned the favour when they were building a mosque. I wish to remind those who have forgotten that Catholic and Orthodox priests together with the officials of the Islamic community had an association called ZAJEDNO (TOGETHER), and that they published a magazine with the same title. As concerning destruction of places of worship, it was done by mentally deranged people - renegades. No true believer would ever think of destroying anybody's place of worship. Ever. I am convinced that the practice of joint buiding of places of worship will continue in Bosnia, as soon as people who give priority to nationalism instead to God are dethroned. Their time is slowly passing."

The Director of the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Slobodan Mileusnic, thinks that the mentioned idea is meaningful and that it should be whole-heartedly supported: "Maybe at this moment it is a question of time when this idea will come true. Let us, in the meantime, start from doing as much as we can. The idea should be directed properly, though, to prevent it from acquiring any political connotations. The idea should be implemented among the nations which have lived together for centuries. I am from Slavonia, a mixed environment, and I know that many Roman Catholics, and even Muslims, made donations for building Orthodox churches. And vice versa. I would even suggest that those destroyers of churches and those who have demolished other people's places of worship be given a chance to rouse themselves and reconstruct what they have demolished."

That is how religiuous dignitaries speak. But, along with their good wishes, one must mention the appalling figures about demolished places of worship, not to divert the attention from such a good idea, but to make those who are well-meaning aware to what extent demolition of sacred places also destroyed the bridges among people, members of different religions.

In the war which is still not over, 157 Orthodox churches were either levelled or burnt to the ground, 167 were damaged, not counting other religious buildings. A priceless church treasure was destroyed, including 5 thousand icons. Some of the church valuables can sometimes be found in marketplaces, and Mileusnic says that he managed to buy some of the riches from middlemen. The most important thing for him is that they are not lost.

There are also 651 destroeyd mosques, and 153 are considerably damaged. Nobody knows the destiny of tens of mosques because access to them is forbidden. The Roman Catholic Church operates with the figure of four hundred destroyed places of worship and religious buildings, but even this is not final. The figures themselves are too heavy a warning. Whether reasonable people will manage to remove the blemish fallen on their nations because of disturbed minds of individuals by building places of worship together

• time will show.

Ejub Stitkovac